Living Near Dry Cleaners May Increase Parkinson's Risk, Large US Study Finds

A nationwide Medicare study (2016–2018) found people living within about 150 meters of a dry-cleaning business had roughly a 14% higher estimated risk of Parkinson's disease than those living 4–5 miles away, with higher risks for gait/mobility problems and dementia-associated PD. While the findings show association, not causation, they suggest environmental exposure to dry-cleaning solvents like TCE could contribute to PD risk and highlight the need for further surveillance and remediation. Limitations include using 2013 dry-cleaner locations and not measuring actual chemical amounts.